Tag Archives: Faith Once for All

Did Jesus Go to Hell When He Died (1 Pet. 3:18-19)?

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Did Jesus Go to Hell When He Died (1 Pet. 3:18-19)? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 3:29pm I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF INQUIRIES about 1 Peter 3:18ff., which says: “He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago.” What does this mean? Did Jesus somehow “go to hell” after he died on the cross? If so, is this part of his atoning work? Or does it mean that he went and preached to … Continue reading →

Heb. 6:4-8 and “Once Saved, Always Saved”

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Heb. 6:4-8 and “Once Saved, Always Saved” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 10:03am A RECENT QUERY: “We are doing a study in Hebrews and this week chapter 6 rears its ugly head regarding eternal security. I know that I have at least 2 with a strong calvinistic background in my class, and we will be addressing the ‘once saved, always saved’ problem. Any thoughts?” MY REPLY: In my book, “The Faith Once for All,” I have a whole chapter on the subject of assurance of salvation (ch. 21). In this chapter I give a strong … Continue reading →

Is Faith a Gift?

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Is Faith a Gift? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 9:42am A RECENT QUERY: “I came across a church website that says (slightly abbreviated): ‘We share the values of the Reformation, the five “Alones”: ●Christ Alone: We believe that Jesus Christ was, is and always will be fully God (Hebrews 13:8) and that he became fully human, taking the very nature of a man (Philippians 2) and that he came to show us what God the Father is like; when you see Jesus you see God the Father (John 14:9). ●Grace Alone: Our relationship with God … Continue reading →

“Good Fruit” from the “Unbaptized”

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“Good Fruit” from the “Unbaptized” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 1:32pm QUESTION: “The idea of the visible and invisible church was a mystery to me until I read your book ‘Baptism: A Biblical Study’ (ch. 8). This includes the idea that only God knows who is truly justified. I was wondering though, how we can explain the tremendous fruit by such scholars of the day that don’t believe and have not been baptized for the forgiveness of sin, e.g., John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, and Norman Geisler.” MY REPLY: This is not an easy question, but … Continue reading →

Why Demonic Works in a Christian Context?

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Why Demonic Works in a Christian Context? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 10:35am A SERIOUS QUESTION (edited), asked in a good spirit: “At the end of chapter 15 in “The Faith Once for All” you affirm that miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit were temporary and are not being given today. What most concerns me is your statement that miraculous or supernatural phenomena today, which many take to be miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit, actually are demonic in origin. It also concerns me that during the Cane Ridge meetings 1000’s of people had wonderful … Continue reading →

Women Preachers

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Women Preachers by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 1:20pm A RECENT REQUEST: “I have a question about women preaching. I have always been taught that this is the man’s job. I guess what I do not understand is how some people feel so strongly one way about this issue, and others feel so strongly another way, but both feel that they are doing God’s will? Where do you draw the line?” MY REPLY: I draw the line where Paul draws it in 1 Timothy 2:12 – “But I do not allow a woman to teach or … Continue reading →

“Once Saved, Always Saved” & Luke 8:13

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“Once Saved, Always Saved” & Luke 8:13 by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 12:18pm A RECENT REQUEST: “I have been debating a Calvinist over necessary perseverance, and I was wondering your view on Luke 8:13. Do you believe this describes a true believer or a false believer? The Calvinist is arguing that Jesus shows that if someone falls away from the faith, they were never saved to begin with. He believes that his arguments for eternal security rise and fall based on the four soils of Jesus’ parable. If you could offer any advice or input, … Continue reading →

Depravity: Total, Partial, or None at All?

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Depravity: Total, Partial, or None at All? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 1:26pm A QUESTIONER ASKS, what Scriptures disqualify (I take this to mean disprove) Total Depravity in human beings? And if Total Depravity is ruled out, does that mean we are PARTIALLY depraved? MY REPLY: Depravity as such has to do with the sinfulness of our human nature, i.e., having a nature that has been infected with sin like the body can be infected with disease. It means having a sinful, evil, spiritually diseased or dead nature. The first issue is WHETHER a sinner’s … Continue reading →

Is Biblical Inspiration a Proof of Calvinism?

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Is Biblical Inspiration a Proof of Calvinism? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 2:26pm SOMEONE HAS WRITTEN about a “Calvinist challenge,” thus: “I wanted to pass along a challenge a Calvinist has thrown down. My answer, thus far, has been that Scripture is silent on the ‘mode’ of inspiration, leaving the Calvinist with the same conundrum. I wondered if you might have a further thought on the following challenge:” “How is it that God inspired the Scriptures in such a way that every word—indeed, every jot and tittle—was what He determined? Every standard evangelical definition of … Continue reading →

Are We Arminian , Pelagian, or Whatever?

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Are We Arminian , Pelagian, or Whatever? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 12:45pm HERE IS ANOTHER QUESTION: How does the Restoration Movement compare with Calvinism and Augustinianism? I am assuming that we are of an Arminian persuasion, but I would flatly deny the doctrine of total depravity and original sin, which many Arminians claim to believe. So, does that make me a Pelagian or semi-pelagian? HERE IS MY ANSWER: Not all Arminians affirm total depravity and original sin. Even those who say they do (mostly Wesleyan Arminians) have a device called “prevenient grace” that nullifies … Continue reading →